Teach Yourself Japanese

I’m thinking about writing a book to sell.

The topic would be about teaching yourself Japanese, with both language content and methodology inside.

I’m racist

Hopefully you’ll humor me long enough for me to explain the title, which I think is an important statement.

Airport Limbo

I dunno if anyone else feels this way, but whenever I do a long series of connecting flights, I feel like I enter time-culture limbo the moment I step into the airport.

Description of my Japanese Office

I’m going to try to give a neutral descriptive analysis of my Japanese office because I think it might provide useful insight into a culture many westerners are unfamiliar with.  I should preface this with the fact that my own work experience is limited and I have not worked in a business office or government office other than the one I’m describing.

2011 Lunar Eclipse from Kochi, Japan

Last night my girlfriend and I went to the river to watch the lunar eclipse. The conditions were rather fantastic.  It was happening between 9-11 pm on a Saturday night.  The sky was cloudless, and it was only about 7-9 degrees Celsius out.

An American Beer Aficionado’s Guide to Japanese Beer

I decided it was time to write up my official guide to beer in Japan as best as I know it.  I’m still exploring the beer of Japan and craft beers are becoming more and more popular, so be on the lookout here for more information in the future.

Best spots for this and that, here and there across the globe

So, I haven’t been EVERYWHERE by any means, but I’ve been a few places and I saw a facebook status that reminded me of a place I really loved to get Dolmas from in college.  So I thought I would make up a list of things to try while you’re here or there, anywhere I’ve been across the world.

Improved quality of life

So it appears that I am losing body fat based on my measurements so far, even considering how often I lapse.  My actual net weight hasn’t really gone down particularly much, though that is actually quite optimal assuming the weight is being made up for by muscle mass.  But anyway, even if not I’ve decided to stick with the diet and exercise plan because my quality of life has improved a bit.

A view of the world through Japanese ears

I think I’d like to write a short story using the linguistic world view of the Japanese language. The sheer contrast in the way things are phrased and the polite/casual, and humble/honorific spectrums are somewhat alien in English. So the challenge then is, how do I represent these things paying due to the Japanese without using Japanese? Well, that is the challenge, and I’m usually up for a good challenge. Let’s see if I can give you a taste of the sort of flavor this short story might have.

「山下さんの荷物を運ばせてください。」

“If you would lower it to my level, let me carry Mr. Undermountain’s baggage.”

「どうも、助かります。馬場さんは元気でしょうか？」

“How much so, I’m helped. Would Mr. Horsegrounds be lively?”

「おかげさまで。これからもよろしくお願い致します」

“Only under your shadow I am. I put forward my good will from now on and hope you will extend the same to me.

Basically what I did was translate the meaning of the words as directly as possible while being a bit loose in terms of grammar and phrasing. The use of names in this case is meant to represent how the Japanese usually refer to their people they’re talking to by their last name rather than a second person pronoun. I didn’t stick to that throughout though since subjects aren’t required in Japanese. So in the cases where I needed to fill in a subject for grammaticality in English I did use a pronoun. I’m happy to hear your comments, feelings, and corrections, though keep in mind I’m taking liberties with both languages here.

Nagasaki and Yakushima

I learned a bit about myself on this trip to Kyushu.

1. I like going at my own pace.  Sometimes fast, sometimes slow.
2. I don’t actually get that bored if I’m moving, even if no one else is around.
3. I think a lot more when I’m alone.
4. I don’t like driving that much.
5. Kochi has just about everything I was looking for from Yakushima, and it’s like a treasure hunt trying to find it!